THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala High Court has cancelled the FIR filed by the vigilance with charges of criminal conspiracy against former chief minister Oommen Chandy and others in connection with the Pattoor land dealing case, giving a thorough backlash for the government.

The ruling by the HC is based on a petition submitted by former chief secretary E K Bharat Bhushan.

The HC has also cancelled the vigilance probe in the case. Oommen Chandy is the fourth accused in the case, which has a total of five accused, and the cancelling of the case comes as a relief to Oommen Chandy and the UDF.

The case states that the government had lost 12.75 cents of land by reallocating the sewage pipeline of the water authority to help a private builder in Pattoor. Jacob Thomas had earlier said his report to the Loka Ayukta that there is discrepancy in the settlement register of the land involved in this case.

The court that accepted the petition to reject the case had sought an explanation from Jacob Thomas. Jacob Thomas, who appeared at the court in person following this had said that the discrepancy is not it the settlement register but in the other related documents.

Nevertheless, the court raised severe criticism against Jacob Thomas while considering the petition. The court had clarified that it’s high time Jacob Thomas is taught some lessons in discipline, and that there is a case of contempt of court existing against him.